Norway 2025
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
General counsel | Brødrene Dahl AS/Saint-Gobain Distribution Norway AS
General counsel | TOMRA Collection Solutions
General counsel, European and international affairs | Statnett SF
Group EVP and General counsel & Chief of staff | Kongsberg Gruppen
Head of legal section | Norwegian Defence Estates Agency NDEA (Forsvarsbygg)
VP Head of legal, privacy and security management | Intility
Acting group CEO and General counsel | Altera Infrastructure
Chief legal & sustainability officer, General counsel | Dibber
Head of legal Telenor Norge AS & VP group legal Telenor ASA | Telenor
General counsel & Local head of financial crime prevention | Handelsbanken Norway
General Counsel - Chief Legal and Compliance Officer | Torvald Klaveness
Group general counsel, Executive management team member | AutoStore Holdings Ltd.
SVP legal and General counsel | Wallenius Wilhelmsen ASA
EVP Legal & compliance | Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace
VP General counsel Nordics | The Adecco Group
General counsel business banking Nordea, Head of legal Norway, branch manager | Nordea
General counsel and Executive director for legal | CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations)
VP, Group legal director, General counsel | DNV AS
I am delighted to announce the launch of Legal 500’s GC Powerlist Norway: 2025. Once again, Legal 500 is proud to recognise some of the leading in-house counsel across the country and celebrate their achievements.
I would like to extend my congratulations to all those who are featured in the 2025 edition of the Powerlist and thank everyone who contributed to this year’s research process.
As today’s legal landscape and business environment continue to rapidly evolve, in-house counsel must adapt just as quickly. ‘Modern in-house counsel must now, more than ever, be able to quickly adapt to change,’ says Ole Garborg, General Counsel at Elkem ASA, noting that ‘currently the world around us changes constantly’.
Camilla Nyhus-Møller, Chief Legal & Compliance Officer at Höegh Evi, agrees: ‘while the core qualities [that a modern in-house counsel should possess] remain largely unchanged, the pace at which these skills must be applied is increasing’. To ensure advice is relevant and current, in-house counsel must stay ahead of fast-moving economic, political, and regulatory developments. As Marianne Blindheim, General Counsel at Vard Group AS, succinctly puts it: ‘Speed is the new currency’.
But speed alone is not enough. In-house lawyers must also provide clear, coherent advice. “If your advice isn’t understood, it holds no real value,” says Helge Lundestad, General Counsel and Local Head of Financial Crime Prevention at Handelsbanken Norway.
Meanwhile, in-house teams are grappling with what Nina Melandsø, General Counsel at TINE SA, describes as a ‘tsunami of new regulations’ – in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, and ESG. These rapid regulatory shifts put legal teams in the spotlight, requiring ‘substantial resources and expertise to manage effectively’, she notes.
Among these challenges, ESG regulations remain at the forefront of many minds within the legal sector. ‘The general counsel role is becoming increasingly integrated in a company’s sustainability strategy,’ according to Renate Lystad General Counsel and Chief Sustainability Officer at Havfram. Melandsø agrees, emphasising that GCs can drive ESG culture through everything from trainings to monitoring and compliance systems to ensuring a culture of ESG awareness from the top down: ‘General counsel can contribute to a corporate culture that supports ESG principles in many ways’.
However, as Camilla Tellefsdal Robstad, EVP Legal & Compliance at Orkla ASA, reminds us, ‘Fostering a culture that supports ESG principles and compliance – a culture of integrity – is a joint effort.’ Legal, compliance, and ESG teams ‘need to work closely together and be aligned’.
But the rapid development, the balancing act and the challenges can ultimately be rewarding and form the basis of the in-house counsel role. As Christopher Andreas Terkelsen, General Counsel at BDO Norway, puts it: ‘No day is the same.’
The GC Powerlist Peru 2025 brought Lima’s legal elite together in the elegant setting of the Belmond Miraflores Park, in a night that buzzed with connection, insight, and recognition. Sponsored by leading Peruvian law firm Estudio Muñiz, the evening shone a spotlight on the most innovative and influential general counsel in the region.
Silvana Rosso, Directora Legal y de Asuntos Públicos at Nestlé Perú y Bolivia, delivered a heartfelt and forward-thinking address. Reflecting on her journey and the evolving role of legal professionals, she said:
“Being part of the GC Powerlist is an honour—but also a responsibility. As legal leaders, we have the power to shape not just policy, but culture. Equity, diversity, and inclusion must be more than aspirations; they should be embedded in how we lead, hire, and serve our communities. Our work doesn’t stop at risk management—it starts with creating spaces where everyone belongs.”
Her words struck a powerful chord, earning nods from peers across industries.
Mauricio Olaya, Socio Principal at Estudio Muñiz, underscored the firm’s dedication to collaboration and innovation:
“We at Estudio Muñiz are proud to support the GC Powerlist because it reflects the very values we strive for—excellence, partnership, and resilience. In-house counsel are no longer reactive players; they’re strategic architects, building bridges between compliance, reputation, and growth. Tonight, we celebrate that transformation.”
The evening closed with a toast to the awardees, the legal teams behind them, and the ever-evolving legal landscape in Latin America. GC Powerlist Peru 2025 didn’t just honour legal brilliance—it celebrated a community that continues to drive meaningful impact from the boardroom to society at large.
